Gate positioning mechanism for hulling machines



Feb. 1, 1949. E. A. SCHWARZ I GATE POSITIONING MECHANISM FOR HULLING MACHINES Filed June 11, 1947 IN E TOR.

i 0" l f Patented Feb. 1, 1949 Eugene A. Schwarz, Snyder, N 12, assignor to The Geo. L. Squier Mtg. 00., Bufialo, N. Y.

Application June 11, 1947, Serial No. 753,929

r 1 This invention relates to means for accurately positioning the gates of hulling machines, such for example as machines used for 'hulling rice or othergrains. In hulling, machines, the discharge gate which controls the discharge of hulled rice or other grain from a machine must be accurately positi'oned' to retard the discharge of rice to such extent so that proper hullingxof the grain within the hulling cylinder will take-place. This retarding, of the rice or other grain inthe-machine-also must not be too great, since otherwise damage to the kernels will result. In machines as her etofore' constructed, the gate-was adjustable by means of a screw. However, it frequently happens that foreign particles, such asstones or pieces of metal, enterthe hullin'g machine; and when this happens it isnecessary to open theg'ate quickly to discharge the foreign objectsbefore the same seriously damages themachine. Consequently, after opening the r gate another careful adjustment of the same to produce the desired hulling effect wasnecessary, and these adjustments required considerable time, since theoperatormust observe the grain discharged' from the machine and continue the adjustments until the desired results are produced; These adjustments vary according to the-siz'atype and qual ity of the grain which i's'being hulled;

One of the objects of this inventionis to -provide an adjusting mechanism for 'a'di'scha-rge gate of a hulling machine which is so;cnstructed that it may quickly bedetached from the gate to permit the gate to be opened and again closed;'without changing. the setting ot-the: adj ustin'g mechanism, A further object of thisinventionis to provide agate controlledmechanism' of' this type including an adjustingnut arranged on'a'threaded' rod so as to be locked thereon in adjusted position and" which' nut may be readily released from the gate without changing itsadjustment relatively to the bolt. Otherobjects andadvantages of this invention will appear from'theiollowing description and claims; In the accompanying drawing: t Fig, 1 is a fragmentary elevationof the disgate embodying this invention arrangedthereon; Fig. 2' is a transverse, sectional elevation there'- of, approximately on line 2 2, Fig; 1; and

Fig.8 is a fragmentary sectional view, on-an enlarged scale; on line 3-3, Fig.2

My improvements may be applied to a hulling machine of any suitable or desired type, and in the construction illustrated'byway ofeiiample,

5 Claims. (CL- 146- 285) the hulling machine includesa-rotatable drum or cylinder 5 having hulling knives 6 formed there'- on or secured thereto. This rota-table cylinder is arranged in a cylindrical housing comprising an upper imperforate substantially semi-cylindri cal upper part 1 having a hopper 8 for the material to be hulied at the receiving end thereof, and having a discharge spout 9 at the discharge end thereof. This semi-cylindrical housing mam-- her rests on a hollow substantially rectangular base f0 and is suitably secured th'ereto, the base also being provided with bearings for the shaft ll of the rotatablecylinder, one of these bearings being indicated at 1'2 in Fig. 1'; The lower part of the cylindrical housing is formed by a semi-cylindrical screen or perforate plate 14 "having perforations therein of the required size for charge and of a hulling machine showingthe the material which is being hulled', the perforations being smaller in size than the grain,biit large enough to permit the hulls to pass through the same. The knivesii of the rotary cylinder i cooperate with a stationary knife l5.which,- in the construction illustrated, extends lengthwise of 'th'ehousing of the machine, preferably at the junction of the screen with thehousirig part1. The: discharge of the hulled material from the machine through the discharge-"spout 9' is controlled-by means of a gate which may" extend crosswise of the discharge-passage to partlyinte'rceptthe passage of material in such'a man:- ner as to retard the passage of the material through the machine sufficiently to efiect corriplete hulling of the same. All of the parts of the machine thus far described have heretofore been used in connection with rice hulling machines and of themselves constitute 'nopart' of this invention.

I havetprovided means'of improved construe 'tion for controlling the discharge of material through the dischargespout in such manner that thegate can be instantaneously moved into open 'positionand again restored accurately to its formedposition without requiring adjustment of the gate. For this purpose; I provide a. gate 11 vVhich is slidable through a slot in the' 'fwall" of theidischargespout 9, and this'gate has the upper end thereof provided with a flange or projection I8which extends substantially perpendicular to the gate 11, and which is provided with a notch or recess l9; therein which terminates at the outer end of the flange or projection t8;

In order to position the gate in the desired relation to the discharge spout, Iprovide a thread;- ed'bolt the lower 'end of which is'pivotally mounted on the machine; In 'theparticul'aroonof the machine, for example, on the discharge spout 9, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The

' flat sidesjof the head of the bolt cooperate with the lugs 22 to 'preve'nt turning of the bolt about its axis. The bolt may be pivoted to the lugs in any Suitable manner, and in the construction t 4' will not tend to cause disengagement of the adjusting nut from the flange or projection of the gate.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to. explain the nature of theinvention,

. may be niade by'those'skilled in the art within which a pivot pin 24 may pass. As a result of this construction, the'bolt 20 may swing about 7 the'pivot pin toward and from the'gat H.

'In order to effect adjustmentof the gate, I.pro-

.vide a nut 25 on the bolt, which nut has a threaded engagement with the bolt and may be'turned to adjust the nut lengthwise of the bolt, The nut 25, is-preierably a collar nut having an annular slotf25 iormedtherein thus forming'aneck portion on the nut which is of such diameter that it may-pass freelyinto the notch 19 formedin the flange l8, of thegate. Consequently, when the nut is turned in one direction, the shoulder portion thereof on onesideof the neck formed by the slotqzfi will engagethe flange l8 of the gate to move the gatein ,one direction, and when the nut isturned in the opposite direction, the shoulder at the other end :of thegneck engages the the principle .and scope of the invention, as expressedin the appended claims. illustrated, the head of the bolt and the lugs 22 1 are provided with registering apertures ,through I I elaimz. V lilna hulling machine having a housing containing hulling instrumentalities and having a discharge shout for the hulled material, and a gate-movable crosswise of said discharge spout forcontrollingthe discharge of material therefrom, that improvement which comprises a threaded bolt pivotally mounted on said machine to swing toward and from said gate about an axis extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of saidbo1t, an-adjustin nut on said bolt adjustable lengthwise thereof, and having an annular groove extending about said nut, outwardly extending parts onsaid gate .formed to enter said groove Whensaidbolt is swung on its axis toward said'gate and-to be disengaged .from said nut when said bolt is swung away from said gate,

' and, means for locking said nut against movement flange to move the gatein the opposite direction.

The. nut mam-if desired,;ber"proVided with a which the nut may-be easily turned. r Means of any suitabletype are provided for knurled, flange or enlargement 21:by'rneans of H holding the-nutin adjusted position. Forexample] in, the construction illustrated,Ithaveprovided a wingnut ,Sfiwhich also has a threaded engagement witnthebolt 20, and which has a V V face-formed to engage one endface ofQthe nut 25, thawing nutacting as a lock nut to prevent turning of the adj usting nut 25'.

'- *In'ythe use of the gate adjusting mechanism relatively to saidbolt...

'2. In a hullingzmac'hineihaving a housing containing hulling'ginstrumentalities and having a dischargespoutiorithe. hulled material, and a gate movable crosswise ofi'said discharge spout for controlling the discharge of material therefrom, that improvement which. comprises a threaded bolt pivotally; mounted on said machine to swing toward and'from said gate about an axis extendingsubstantially perpendicular to the axis .of said bolt, an; adjusting nut onsaid bolt adjustable lengthwise thereof,..andhaving an annulargroove extending ,about'said nut, said gate having a flange extendingtowardsaid bolt and 7 provided. with a slot-into which the groove of described, the gate isfirst carefully adjusted by turning the nut 25 while the lock nut 30 is turned ..to;beou t of engagement wtih the adjustingjnut' H 2 5 .;;Flhis adjustment, oirthe gate is usually done ,1 iwhile observing thematerial discharged from the spoutggthe gate being lowered, until the desired hulling effect is obtained. The adjusting nut 25 isthen looked inpqsition bymeans of the lock nut 30. If a for'eign body or: obstructioncenters the;machine, thusmalring it necessary to open ftheg ate-to permitf such obstruction to passrapidly out of the machine, theboltZl] with the nuts 25 and 36 arranged thereon is swung outofi engagement with the gate l1, forexample, into the broken lirie position shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the operator can grasp the gate "and; move the V same out of the dischargefpassage or spout 9, as

indicated inbroken lines in Fig. 2.,fgWhn; the

io'rei gn' article "or. obstruction has passed Tout @through the spout'lLthe gate is again placed into "its'fslot andthe bolt 28 swungabout its piv'ot so {that} the. groove 26 or, the adjusting nutfenters immediately resumed without again requiring adjustment of the gate. I

rearranged at an angle toithe vertical, sdthat gthe bolt will tend -to swing by gravity, toward the atef Consequently, vibrations o the m n said nut extends when said bolt is swung toward said gate, the portions :of; said nut forming the side :walls off said ygroove engaging the opposite 'faces of saidflan'geaa'djacent, to the slot therein (for transmittin adjustmentsiof said nut to said gate, meansiforlocking said-nut against move- ]r'nent relatively to .said bolt,- said bolt being mov ;able about its axisjto'. move said groove out of saidslot'to permit. said gate to'be movedindependentl l of said nut: and'to Dermitsaid nut to be, replaced iin rengagement with said gate without changing'theadjustment of said nut "on said bolt.

3. In a; hulling'machinei having a housing containing hulling instrumentalities and having a discharge spout for the hulling material, that improvement whijch includes. a gate in the form of a substantially flat plate slidable crosswise oi said spoutin -a slotgin the uppenportion of said spout and arran edgat an inclination. to l the horizontal, the upperportion of'said; gate having a a flange extending'substantially"perpendicular to and outwardlyf fr hi that, surface of said gate wh chia e late all andiupwa y s id flan having; a; slot extending inwardly from; the outer 7 It in e noted thatthe as l1" and the-bolt. V

edge thereof, a threaded bolt pivotally mounted on' said machine to swingttowardand from said slot in said gate about an axis substantially perpendicular to the axisflof said; bolt, an adjusting ,nut. havinga threadedengagement with. said bolt and adjustable lengthwise thereof and having an annular; groovefolrmed therein substantially'concentric with theaxis of said bolt and formed to enter said slot when said bolt is swung about its axis, the portions of said nut forming the side walls of said groove engaging opposite faces of said flange adjacent to said slot, to transmit adjustment of said nut lengthwise of said bolt to said gate for adjusting the same relatively to said spout, a lock nut arranged on said bolt for cooperating with said adjusting nut, said gate and said bolt being arranged relatively to each other so that said bolt will be in an inclined position when said nut is in engagement with said slot in said gate flange to cause said bolt to be urged by gravity into a position to hold said nut in engagement with said flange.

4. In a hulling machine having a housing containing hulling instrumentalities and having a discharge spout for the hulled material, and a gate movable crosswise of said discharge spout for controlling the discharge of material therefrom, that improvement which comprises a threaded bolt mounted on said machine, a collar nut part on said bolt adjustable lengthwise thereof, a slotted part on said gate engaging said collar nut part for transmitting adjustment of said nut to said gate, one of said parts being mounted to move into and out of engagement with the other part to engage and disengage said collar nut and said gate to release said gate without changing the position of said collar nut relatively to said bolt.

5. In a hulling machine having a housing containing hulling instrumentalities and having a discharge spout for the hulled material, and a t3 gate movable crosswise of said discharge spout for controlling the discharge of material therefrom, that improvement which comprises a threaded bolt 'pivotally mounted on said machine to swing toward and from said gate about an axis extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of said bolt, an adjusting nut on said bolt adjustable lengthwise thereof and having an annular groove coaxial with the axis of said bolt, and a part on said gate having a notch therein formed to extend into said groove of said nut and with which said nut cooperates to move said gate in accordance with adjustments of said nut, said notch extending in the direction in which said bolt may swing about its pivotal mounting to enable said nut to be moved into and out of engagement with said notch on said gate by swinging said bolt on its pivotal mounting.

EUGENE AVSCHWARZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 771,764 Bousser Oct, 4, 1904 1,167,814 Gane Jan. 11, 1916 1,477,262 Hayes Dec. 11, 1923 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,060 Great Britain, 1880 May 20, 1880 

